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[Katty]

So many interesting points thrown up by the last post. Of course another thing now is financial implications. We seem to have gone back to quite restrictive prescribing. You have to wonder if GP's are ticking boxes to meet financial targets and not treating women in a way that's best.

[Katty]

The laughable thing is that I have always read up on things and I thought I knew what was going on in my life but yesterday I realised that I am just as ignorant as the women in my mother's day. Over 10 years ago in my early 40's I was having terrible bleeding problems. I even tried taking the pill back to back but it did not work. Eventually I was having around 1 week off bleeding and 3 weeks on in a month. I was put on the Mirena coil and that helped for a few years and then the problem was back. So around 6 years ago I had an endometrial ablation. Last resort before hysterectomy. Thankfully it sorted the bleeding out and I never had a period again. During all that time I had a few panic attacks at work. Often felt hot and dizzy and developed gastric problems. I was on proton pump inhibitors for 18 months. I eroded part of my esophagus with acid reflux and pain was as bad as a heart attack. I had to sleep on a foam wedge. I had a lot of work stress and family problems at the time and put it all down to stress. In the last 6 years post ablation I have developed the vaginal dryness problems. I tried all the products  mentioned above and went to the doctors about 4 times about it. She insisted I must have excema and prescribed Betnovate.   She did blood tests and said I was OK and didn't need HRT etc. I just assumed that the menopause was yet to come as she seemed to think the tests showed I was not there yet. My last blood test was a year ago. So yesterday having moved GP  surgery I had a new patient appointment with the nurse and a follow up smear as I had first abnormal one a year ago and now have to be followed up yearly. The nurse recorded me as post menopausal on the form and when asked about this we had a short chat. She said that blood tests can not be relied upon to judge a woman's menopausal status. You have to take symptoms and other evidence into account. Just this last 2 years I can see a visible difference in how I've aged. My skin and my eyes etc. I really do look the older woman now. Looking back I feel that I must have been actually going through the menopause during all that time I had all those health problems and I just didn't know it. I was seeing all the issues as separate health issues and my GP never indicated. I thought this dryness was the start and the other issues were all unconnected. Now I just feel washed out and finished. I've no energy for anything. I've been like this a while. I probably should have had hormonal support earlier. It's really amazed me how stupid I've been. All this information and reading and I still didn't put it together. I'm 54 now and relied on what my GP said about the blood tests. How could I have been so stupid? I came on here thinking here it was all starting due to the vaginal problems and tentatively wondering if I should consider HRT or leave it a while. In reality and given my examination yesterday I am probably nearer the end than the beginning of all of this and in desperate need of HRT. I can only hope that when I get to see the actual GP next week they are in concurrence.

[dangermouse]

I seem to be surrounded by women who've not had meno problems. My mum doesn't even remember going through it and never had hot flushes and a good friend recently had a hysterectomy due to fibroids and feels great without any HRT - it was never even offered to her. Apart from one friend, who's suffered for years with bad PMT, hormones seem to not have been much of an issue and they've assumed my situation has been very irregular. My older sister did have to have IVF for both her pregnancies and had heavy periods and has since had an endometrial ablation but is doing really well now and has never considered HRT. She said a lot of her friends in their 50s said they struggled in their 40s with anxiety and other perimenopausal symptoms but felt great post memo.

I'd also never heard of VA until I saw it talked about here and I don't know anyone (close enough who'd discuss it) who suffers from it.

It's been the same with work colleagues as most are in their 50s and when I've briefly mentioned I'd had meno problems they said they'd fortunately been ok with it.

I'd, therefore, assumed our cases were rare and am hoping peri is worse than post but who knows?!!!

[Maryjane]

My three real life friends have VA , it's only because I don't care who knows I have it that they said yes they also do.

All who no me , no I have it . Took my lifestyle away from me  owning/riding horses. 😥

[Katty]

Maybe the reason that some women appear not to have menopause problems is that, like me, they don't associate individual health issues with it. Who would have thought, for instance, that reflux is so common at that time? Who associates acid reflux with their nether regions? A lot of things are related to hormonal changes but most women don't associate health issues in their 40's with menopause. I think a lot of us are just getting to the teenage years with kids then and we don't think we are as close to the end of our  fertile time as we actually are. Looking back I am 54 now but I know I had issues at 40 and between 40 and 45 things were awful. Women may tell each other they are having no issues with the menopause because they don't think the heartburn they keep suffering etc is anything to do with it.

[MIS71MUM]

Heartburn and GERD, dizziness and insomnia is how I started. As you say, I had no idea what it was.

[Mary G]

Buzzy, it's difficult to say how many women get through the menopause without HRT but from my experience of family and friends, I would say not many come through unscathed.  Hot flushes and night sweats are the most common menopause symptoms but they are the thin end of a very big wedge and just because someone does not have them does not mean they have got away with it because there are so many long term health issues that are caused by oestrogen deprivation.

My mother just kidded herself that she didn't need HRT but her health deteriorated rapidly post menopause.  To name a few of her ailments, high blood pressure, constant indigestion, chronic fatigue, insomnia (she hasn't had a full night's sleep for well over 30 years) womb prolapse, bladder problems, knee problems, 2 hip replacements and curvature of the spine.  A friend I used to work with went through a complete personality change and had practically everything wrong - she now has osteoporosis.  She went from being a vibrant young woman who enjoyed sex to a depressed individual with endless health issues who completely went off sex and lost all her vitality overnight.  My aunt also developed high blood pressure post menopause and died of a stroke aged 57 leaving us devastated - I still miss her even after all these years. 

So whether or not to take HRT is a personal thing but I would not want to risk being without it.  Oestrogen acts like a control centre for so many vital bodily functions and without it, all sorts of things can go wrong.  I am probably one of the few people on here who does not only take it for symptom control (migraines and dodgy thermostat) but as a preventative measure because I am not interested in suffering from any menopausal symptoms be it short term or long term.  I decided a long time ago that I will be taking HRT for life. 

[Katty]

Yes the effects are huge. I lost my job then and never had the confidence to go back to work after around 45. I just felt overwhelmed. I can't wait for this appointment and I hope there won't be a reluctance to prescribe. I do think I need both systemic and topical HRT. Sat here tonight and my whole lower half is just on fire. Another night awake until the early hours

[Katty]

I found this online out of interest.

http://www.pcwhf.co.uk/documents/pcwhf_menopause_guidelines_2016.pdf

[Meg]

It absolutely amazes me that some women say they have no symptoms of menopause.  I would love to know why this is, are they very good at producing oestrogen from other sources than their ovaries or do their ovaries function better than others or are they taking SSRI's which may inhibit some symptoms or make them feel as if things dont bother them. Why would they fib on this issue.  I wish research would come up with the answers.  I am one of those who have been hit badly for some reason I also dont understand.  Lack of support from uncaring or ignorant GP's is quite common.  I believe that many women are struggling on not knowing what to do for the best.  Dryness and shrinkage of genitalia is a feature of female menopause, tragic!  Sorry to sound so negative but symptoms can just go on and on unfortunately.  I look at younger women and think, make the most of it while you can, I had no idea what was in store! Given the reluctance of many in the medical profession to even prescribe HRT which of them is going to give it to a woman for life and what happens when you have to stop?

Meg

[dangermouse]

I had one friend who said she suffered terribly with heavy periods, palpitations etc. in perimenopause. She never tried HRT but eventually found a recipe book (by a famous menopause writer but can't remember name now) and she said it made everything a lot more bearable and now she is post meno by about 4 years she feels better than ever. I spent a recent holiday with her and she has tonnes of energy and is in really good health.

As our hormone production continues from the adrenals, fat cells etc., maybe some women produce enough or have the correct ratios which I've heard is the key to hormonal balance.

I met another hypnotherapist at a seminar in the summer who treats hormone imbalance by redirecting the pituitary gland. She said it's really effective so I'm also thinking of getting back in touch with her to learn more. I've used similar techniques to lower blood pressure in clients and Dr David Hamilton's work on the extension of the placebo effect suggests it could work.

For the opposite reasons, let's not expect the worst, and we should remember the positive posts we've had on this forum about the relief of coming through the other side.

[Hurdity]

It absolutely amazes me that some women say they have no symptoms of menopause.  I would love to know why this is, are they very good at producing oestrogen from other sources than their ovaries or do their ovaries function better than others or are they taking SSRI's which may inhibit some symptoms or make them feel as if things dont bother them. Why would they fib on this issue.  I wish research would come up with the answers.  I am one of those who have been hit badly for some reason I also dont understand.  Lack of support from uncaring or ignorant GP's is quite common.  I believe that many women are struggling on not knowing what to do for the best.  Dryness and shrinkage of genitalia is a feature of female menopause, tragic!  Sorry to sound so negative but symptoms can just go on and on unfortunately.  I look at younger women and think, make the most of it while you can, I had no idea what was in store! Given the reluctance of many in the medical profession to even prescribe HRT which of them is going to give it to a woman for life and what happens when you have to stop?

Meg

Women who are fat or fatter will produce more oestrogen and therefore this may mitigate some menopausal symptoms for some of them. Estrone is made (and stored?) in fat cells and provides a reservoir for estradiol in the body. Not a reason to be or stay fat though as this condition (having excess fat leading to being overweight) is associated with all sorts of health problems!

Hurdity x

[Katty]

I think a bit like the whole natural birth or breastfeeding situation it seems that women can be a bit hard on each other. I had the experience of all sides. One ceasarean birth, one vaginal with pethidine, one "natural" without medication as it happened too fast. 2 babies I couldn't breastfeed due to prematurity. The third I breastfed for 18 months. I appear to have had a number of separate ailments in the last 15 years and have had medications and an operation to put them right. I've had 2 bouts of private physiotherapy to deal with pain. In reality I probably should have been on HRT. I think it's a mistake to be too purist about things. We all have to do what works for us. On telling a friend yesterday that I was going to the Dr next week to ask for HRT I was asked "why do you think you need it?" Another friend had a sister who died from cancer so she won't go anywhere near HRT. It's almost as if they view me as weak and giving in for even considering it. Quite frankly I've had enough and I can't understand the way something like this becomes yet another stick to beat women with. We are lucky enough to have choices these days so we should feel able to use them without feeling a failure. This is how life is now. If everything has to be natural then taking that view we shouldn't even be on this forum communicating using this new fangled technology thing. No sisters get outside and shout over the garden hedge instead it's far more "natural."

[breeze]

We are all different and we all make our own choices.  What is right for one may be a disaster for another.

It's the same in all aspects of life.  Each to his/her own

[Mary G]

Buzzy, I don't get this natural thing or the failure stuff, what are these women on about?  I wonder how they will feel about being natural if they end up like my mother?  I assume they refuse all other forms of medication too? 

If you can't take HRT for medical reasons then OK, you have to look at other options but if you can take then why suffer, I mean what is the point?

If you take the right type of HRT at the right dose that suits you, there is no reason why you should not be able to feel the same as you did pre menopause.  I do.